The Sunday Junkie: July 26 edition

With an undeniable theme of life and death, the past seven days saw the reported death of UFC legend Kim “Kimo” Leopoldo – only for the Hawaiian to later turn up alive and well. The week also saw Affliction officials claim their organization would be alive and well despite the loss of “Trilogy” main-event competitor Josh Barnett – only to wind up anything but.

In this week’s edition of “The Sunday Junkie,” MMAjunkie.com readers focused primarily on these two topics, from what happened to what happens next.

Our weekly reader-feedback feature received dozens of opinions on these two main topics, and the submissions represented a wide range of emotions. This week’s winner, Rich Kienzle, suggested the UFC has some responsibility to take care of its talent as viable fighting opportunities disappear at an alarming rate.

Check out all of the submissions, including Rich’s piece, below. Additionally, be sure to check out MMAjunkie.com Radio on Monday (noon to 2 p.m. ET) as Rich discusses the topic in more detail.

Finally, Rich has won a 12-month subscription to Fighters Only. Congratulations!

And to learn how to submit to next week’s edition of The Sunday Junkie, scroll to the bottom of the page.

* * * *ZUFFA’S MASTER PLAN LEAVES SOME FIGHTERS WITHOUT A HOME

A lot of people are cheering the demise of Affliction this past week, saying that no one has any business challenging the world’s top MMA promotion. While I believe the UFC is the place to see MMA’s best practitioners, there isn’t room for everyone in the UFC. Where are my favorite fighters supposed to go once being released from the UFC? Since the WEC has concentrated on developing its lighter weight classes, maybe the UFC should think about inventing some sort of “minor league” for its up and comers, or more importantly, their popular fighters who have had a couple losses in their most recent fights. The program works for Major League Baseball. This way we’re all still tuning into the world’s best MMA promotion and I don’t have to worry about where my Andre Arlovskis or my Tito Ortizs will be fighting next.

Rich Kienzle
Pearl City, Hawaii

AS UFC NEARS MONOPOLY, WHO LOSES THE GAME?

Monopolistic abuse of power is an ugly thing. Unchecked, monopolists can hike prices with impunity, squeeze their suppliers mercilessly and stifle innovation. Insert UFC here. Hiking prices: Ever tried to buy a decent UFC ticket? How many of you can afford to sit ringside? Or anywhere close? Enjoy paying $55 for a PPV? Squeezing suppliers: Ever been totally blown away and disgusted after the release of UFC pay-per-view and gate numbers in comparison to what fighters get paid? I know many of us have shared that moment. Stifling innovation: The UFC has grown the sport, taken its production value to unprecedented levels and brought it mainstream. It gave us “The Ultimate Fighter,” gives us free shows on Spike and is attempting to give us more free shows on other major networks. Most importantly, the UFC is campaigning to have more sanctioning bodies allow MMA in more places and be readily accepted than ever before. Vive le monopoly!

“SchmoeFaceKilla”
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

THE DEATH OF AFFLICTION, THE BIRTH OF A MONOPOLY

From the jab of a dude with pink hair flooring a massive street thug named “Kimbo,” to the “Babyfaced” cheater named Josh Barnett, the competition of MMA promoters has been dealt yet another blow. As UFC president Dana White bald smiles even bigger, who is really hurt in the current landscape of MMA promotions? The fighters. Never mind the disgrace of Barnett, never mind the once strong feeder leagues like the now-defunct PFC and still-strong Strikeforce. There is one – and only one –promotion to dominate the newest entertainment spectacle that is the sport of MMA: the UFC. Let’s not forget who the truest and only asset in this game is, the fighters themselves – the individuals whom we celebrate and cheer in this most primitive of sports. Who cares who provides the fights? Just give us the fights we want to see.

Charles Sardina
Minneapolis, Minn.

AFFLICTION’S DEMISE ACTUALLY GOOD FOR FIGHTER PAY?

Many would argue that Affliction closing its doors will hurt fighter pay due to their higher disclosed payouts compared to the UFC, but I am here today to disagree. Affliction being able to once again sponsor fighters in the UFC will lead to increased fighter pay. While Affliction may have only had 30 or 40 fighters under contract during their two shows, by sponsoring the UFC and other organizations the opportunity to sponsor hundreds of fighters exists. Affliction was one of, if not the leading sponsor for many UFC fighters before they were banned. Georges St. Pierre’s fight in Canada is a perfect example of just how well signature fighter shirts will sell, even though he was unable to wear it to the Octagon. While many will view Affliction’s demise as a step back for MMA, in reality it will be a step forward for the fighters’ pay long term.

“Buffaloblue”
Charlotte, N.C.

WHY ALL THE HATE?

With the subsequent folding of Affliction as a promotion, I have to wonder why so many of the readers on this as site well as others wanted to see it happen so bad. Instead of being upset that there is now one less promotion ready to bring the best possible matchups they can put together to television sets, I’ve read remarks indicating that people are happy and are still ready to bash everything Affliction did. I don’t care if people don’t like Tom Atencio or his business practices, Affliction brought together many of the best fighters not in the UFC and put on two pretty entertaining shows. I would think that MMA fans would like as many shows to watch as possible, like I do. Everybody, just please stop hating and simply enjoy the entertainment.

Dave “tingles” Lucier
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

DEATH WITH DISHONOR

I have been a strong supporter of Affliction’s promotions. I believe the two events Affliction gave us were exceptional – way better than most UFC shows. But after the way the organization handled business this past week, my respect has changed to disgust. Folding your promotion a few days after suffering a setback is pathetic. EliteXC put up a better fight – they took a chance with Seth Petruzelli. Affliction immediately bowed their heads to the company that was intent on destroying them. This was not a battle. It was too easy, and Affliction never took a stand. It was accepting death even before dying. I can’t blame the people who think this was a set up from the start. It was too fast, too convenient – as if hyping a fight in the UFC at the expense of Affliction’s fighters and fans. What’s done is done. I just hope, the next MMA promotion that considers folding will put up a fight. This is a business which respect is gained after a good fight.

“pogiako”
Manila, Philippines

AN ASSASSIN’S LAST KILL

This must be the busiest and most upsetting week in MMA history, and there wasn’t even an event this weekend! The “Babyfaced Assassin” performed his deadliest assassination to date; he got a sample into the CSAC’s headquarters and Affliction had been killed. Normally fighters make their namesake on one or more incredible fights. But Josh Barnett will forever be remembered by the fight that didn’t happen. Perhaps a nickname containing the word assassin suits him best; there’s absolutely no honor to be found in assassinations. Barnett no longer deserves the respect of any person involved with or fan of MMA. He took food off of many fighters’ and businessmen’s tables, all because he felt like he needed an advantage against Fedor Emelianenko. When an assassin gets killed, it’s rare that someone notices. I don’t wish death on Barnett, but hopefully he fades away with no one ever noticing.

Carl Dominguez
Las Vegas, Nev.

ENOUGH WITH THE EXCUSES

On the heels of UFC 100 and its heavyweight main event, there was another card on Aug. 1 that had an even-bigger heavyweight fight. That is, until Josh Barnett – ranked No. 2 in the world by most – was banned due to a failed drug test caused by steroids. This is not the first time for Barnett. In 2002, after winning the UFC heavyweight championship, he tested positive in his post-fight drug test, thus resulting in his suspension. Now on the cusp of the biggest fight in his career against the world’s No. 1 ranked fighter, he’s done it again. Barnett is asking for a second sample to be tested. However, with that initial strike against him, he is now guilty by association. In baseball you get three strikes before you’re out. However in MMA, you either come clean or don’t come at all. Enough with the excuses already; Barnett is a poor excuse who should have learned the first time.

Sam “ALL JAM”
Bethlehem, Penn.

THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT

With the cancellation of the “Affliction: Trilogy” card – all due to not being able to find an adequate replacement for Josh Barnett following his positive steroid test – it had me thinking that perhaps there should be stiffer penalties for fighters who are repeat offender. The eventual cancellation of this card inconvenienced many fighters, promoters and fans alike. Perhaps if an individual is caught three times, no commission should renew their license. Strike three and you’re out – forever.

Eric Von Bergen
Westminster, Md.

AFFLICTION’S LESSON TO FUTURE PROMOTIONS

Let the failure of “Affliction: Trilogy” be a reminder to us all as to why the UFC is able to charge $49.95 for a pay per view and draw a million buys. The catastrophe that surrounded Affliction’s third, failed event has been anything but what you’d expect from a professional sports organization. The UFC is the UFC because of its grass roots campaign in the “dark ages”. The UFC wasn’t paying legends more than they could afford, and furthermore, the owners sunk $40-plus million into the company because they loved it, they believed in their product and were patient and dedicated to making it what it is today. Affliction has proven that it takes more than money to succeed. It takes passion, and sensibility (especially in today’s tough economic climate) to succeed. Goodnight, and thanks for the history lesson Affliction.

Jason Mahoney
San Diego, Calif.

AFFLICTION’S “KIMBO SLICE”

Thinking back to when Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson was the much-talked-about up-and-coming-heavyweight for EliteXC, I remember saying to a lot of people, “Once Slice gets knocked out, EliteXC is done.” In came Seth Petruzelli, and down went EliteXC. Now we have the same situation with both Fedor Emelianenko and Affliction – except Affliction’s problem was supplying quality competition for the Russian WAMMA champion. Enter Josh Barnett in a huge fight for Affliction, but a failed drug test acted as this promotion’s knockout punch. With Barnett out of the mix who would have been left for Emelianenko to face? Brett Rogers? Personally, I think Rogers is good, but he’s not ready for a guy like Emelianenko. Getting lucky against Andrei Arlovski doesn’t prove you’re good enough for “The Last Emperor.” Emelianenko needs to go where the competition is: the UFC.

Jason Grenier
Philadelphia, Penn.

WITH JOSH BARNETT OUT OF THE PICTURE, FEDOR EMELIANENKO VS. BROCK LESNAR MUST HAPPEN

Brock Lesnar is the best heavyweight fighter in the world. Although there are potential opponents for Lesnar such as Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Antonio Minotauro Nogueira and a possible rubber match with Frank Mir, the real heavyweight fight fans want to see is Lesnar vs. Fedor Emilianenko. After UFC 100, Dana White made it clear he wanted to bring Emelianenko to the UFC. That has been a long time coming, but Emelianenko’s people have said the UFC’s demands are unreasonable – while Dana White has said the same thing in return. With Affliction folding, the time has come for both sides to stop playing around and do what’s best for the sport: Have the two best heavyweights in the world find out who is No. 1. It’s time for Emelianenko and the UFC to finally come together!

Matthew Ruiz
Bronx, N.Y.

FEDOR EMELIANENKO SHOULD CONSIDER MOVE TO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

I would be the first to get behind a Fedor Emilianenko vs. Brock Lesnar superfight. Yet, beyond Lesnar, what other heavyweight poses a serious threat to Emelianenko? Put it this way: Would you pick Cain Velasquez over Anderson Silva to upset Emelianenko? What about Shane Carwin rather than Lyoto Machida? I would even give Quinton Jackson a better chance than Josh Barnett. There’s definitely something mythical about Emelianenko slaying giants, but the light heavyweight division houses more elite fighters who permit very few mistakes before terminating the fight – just like “The Last Emperor.”

Dom Velando
Le Claire, Iowa

POTENTIAL ESPN DEAL KEY TO MMA’S FURTHERED GROWTH

With the NFL, NBA, and MLB still the largest sports attractions in the U.S., MMA still has a little way to go to catch up to the other sports’ popularity and mainstream acceptance. If the rumors are true and the UFC is in the works of getting a deal done with ESPN, this will be huge for MMA as a whole, not just the UFC. ESPN is the No. 1 watched sports station in the world. Sports fans tune in religiously to get constant updates on what’s going on in the sports community. If MMA could be covered regularly, or even broadcast live on ESPN, this would surely increase MMA’s growing popularity. Hockey is starting to fade in the U.S. The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been aired on VERSUS channel. Should a deal be completed with ESPN, MMA would be able to take hockey’s place as the fourth major sport and cement MMA as a mega-power in the athletic industry.

Andrew “vice” Walters
Coral Springs, Fla.

WHO’S REALLY TO BLAME IN “KIMO” SITUATION?

Everyone wants to go after the troll that started the rumors of “Kimo” Leopoldo’s death. Even Leopoldo’s manager wants to sue the troll. But lets be honest with ourselves: It was the media that caused the most unneeded damage. I don’t go on the UG. I didn’t hear the story until the major media reported it. So a troll posts something untrue to inflame and cause a reaction? Not surprising – that’s what trolls do. It is the media’s responsibility to check the information twice, even three times, before they print it. With the shift of the media from print to the Internet, and the publishing of a story as easy as hitting send, I understand wanting to get the story out first. On the other hand, you must hold yourself to a higher standard than the other outlet. Was the troll incredibly wrong? Yeah, but who’s the more foolish – the fool or the fool who follows him?

Jonathan Curbis
Chicago, Ill.

DON’T JUST GET IT FAST; GET IT RIGHT

It should come as a surprise to nobody that when you combine the competitive culture of mixed martial arts, the legendarily cutthroat world of journalism, and the instant access of the Internet, that coverage of MMA-related news has become an ultra-competitive fast-paced, sometimes real-time, field. Unlike in print media, in this world scooping one’s competition is measured in hours and minutes. In a rush to chime in on the supposed, and subsequently proven false, death of Kim “Kimo” Leopoldo, numerous websites jumped the gun without getting any of their facts straight. In fact, it appears many of the sites did little more than plagiarize the original lies while adding their own conjecture. Their journalistic laziness facilitated a malicious fraud perpetrated against Mr. Leopoldo, and the public should be mindful of this incident the next time it clicks on a link for “Breaking News.”

“GhostofMaulwalker”
Cypress, Texas

THE ALLEGED DEATH OF “KIMO” LEOPOLDO

When reports of “Kimo” Leopoldo’s death surfaced on various MMA and mainstream websites, MMAjunkie.com was one of very few websites not to report his death – holding off instead of going the “yellow journalism” route. I can only imagine the horrific reaction of Leopoldo having to call his family, friends, and business associates to let them know he was still alive and well. I would like to thank MMAjunkie.com for responsible journalism and waiting to get all of the facts in order before “rushing” to a story and getting the facts wrong.

Sean Leggett
Lodi, Calif.

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